Expeditious Retreat Press announced today that they will be publishing the Advanced Player's Guide, the one originally to be published by Necromancer Games. Joe Browning says that he feels "October is a reasonable release month."
Expeditious Retreat Press announced today that they will be publishing the Advanced Player's Guide, the one originally to be published by Necromancer Games. Joe Browning says that he feels "October is a reasonable release month."
What will it feature for those of us who cant follow the link?
What will it feature for those of us who cant follow the link?
The APG was suppose to fill the gap left by the 4E PHB for those that wanted to convert over their existing games. Containing things like Monk, Bard, Half Orc, and others. Mind you, this was before the GSL was release and said that you cannot redefine things that already define and must stop printing someting if we later print something that shares the same name. So things should be "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" similar.
Good news! It was a shame Necromancer felt they couldn't go forward with this as originally intended. I've liked all of the author's previous work as well (Ari Marmell) so I think this will be a pretty high quality product.
Thanks for the heads up McCoy! :)
Maybe this is XRP's big break. They've been growing as a company for a while. Maybe this'll rocket them up to take the place of one of the big 3 that choose not to sign on with the GSL?
Good luck to them.
Or, it could be XRP's death sentence, as Habro/WoTC will likely take action to prevent direct competion with the Player's Handbook II.
Or, it could be XRP's death sentence, as Habro/WoTC will likely take action to prevent direct competion with the Player's Handbook II.
I'm sure they changed all the names.
Minstral, Oghma, ummm, what's a good term for a half orc?Or, it could be XRP's death sentence, as Habro/WoTC will likely take action to prevent direct competion with the Player's Handbook II.I'm sure they changed all the names.
Uruk-Hai . . . oh wait, that could get them sued as well.
The orcs call them half-humans.Minstral, Oghma, ummm, what's a good term for a half orc?Or, it could be XRP's death sentence, as Habro/WoTC will likely take action to prevent direct competion with the Player's Handbook II.I'm sure they changed all the names.
Well you could call them demi-orks.
or d-orks for short! j/k
Horcs would actually work. Half-orcs
Half-bloods?
Mudbloods? :P
This is good news indeed, and they will have free reign since the ph2 wont be out until mid next year.
Oh btw, call them orc blooded or orcborn. :P
Can someone explain to me why they should change the name of their races and class or be worry about WotC asking them to stop publishing this guide? They will almost have half a year to sell this player`s guide before WoTc publish the Player Handbook II... This is a lot of time to sell a lot of copy of something a lot of DnD 4E players clearly want... I`m not in the publishing business, but my understanding is that 80% of your sell are done in the few weeks or months after the release date...
Can someone explain to me why they should change the name of their races and class or be worry about WotC asking them to stop publishing this guide? They will almost have half a year to sell this player`s guide before WoTc publish the Player Handbook II... This is a lot of time to sell a lot of copy of something a lot of DnD 4E players clearly want... I`m not in the publishing business, but my understanding is that 80% of your sell are done in the few weeks or months after the release date...
The reason is that it would suppress demand for the Player's Handbook II. Yes, you are right in that this is clearly "something a lot of DnD 4E players clearly want," but that is the point. Hasbro does not want that demand satisfied - before - they can satisfy it.
My understanding (and I could be wrong) is that WotC can stop XRP from publishing the advanced Player`s guide only once they release the Player Handbook II... not before since they didn`t not, yet, publish those races and classes in any supplement... So even if WotC decide to publish a bard and a druid in the player Handbook II next year, XRP will have the chance to sell a lot of advanced player`s guide before that hapen... If they can sale 50000 copy in the next few months, do they really need to care that WoTc revoke their right to publish it after that?
Can someone explain to me why they should change the name of their races and class or be worry about WotC asking them to stop publishing this guide? They will almost have half a year to sell this player`s guide before WoTc publish the Player Handbook II... This is a lot of time to sell a lot of copy of something a lot of DnD 4E players clearly want... I`m not in the publishing business, but my understanding is that 80% of your sell are done in the few weeks or months after the release date...
True, perhaps, but you are no doubt giving away a goodly portion of the sales for the questionable uptick in sales for maintaining the original names. How many more people will buy it in the time between now and the PHB II's release because the classes are named Druid instead of Nature-y Guy? How many more people would have bought it after the PHB II's release?
I'd say the bigger number is in the second group, and I think Ari agrees.
Cheers! :)
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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My understanding (and I could be wrong) is that WotC can stop XRP from publishing the advanced Player`s guide only once they release the Player Handbook II... not before since they didn`t not, yet, publish those races and classes in any supplement... So even if WotC decide to publish a bard and a druid in the player Handbook II next year, XRP will have the chance to sell a lot of advanced player`s guide before that hapen... If they can sale 50000 copy in the next few months, do they really need to care that WoTc revoke their right to publish it after that?
Actually etrigan, my understanding is that they don't need to 'release' anything. Just add those terms to the SRD as a place holder.
I guess you are right Matthew... or they could simply add (or copy-paste from the advanced Player`s guide) quickly the new class in the compendium or in Dragon Magazine (like they did for the Artificer)...
Failed domestic policy...
Minstral, Oghma, ummm, what's a good term for a half orc?
Honestly I don't think they would have to change the names of the classes or most of the races especially if they are not going under the GSL. Most of the names for the core classes and races in D&D are quite generic fantasy archetypes that have existed in fantasy literature and mythology long before the first Dungeons and Dragons game was ever penned. Wizards of the coast does not own the names monk, druid, orc, half-orc, as a matter of fact a lot of the races and classes in D&D are not original with either TSR or Wizards of the Coast. Even the name Tiamat is not original with Wizards or TSR. Tiamat was an ancient Babylonian or Sumerian god I believe, I don't know if the 5 headed dragon image holds to mythology or not but the name sure isn't original. Lots of wiggle room there legally I would think.
Charles
If they sold 50,000 copies in a few months it would be the biggest non-wotc seller of the year.
I`m well aware of that, but I figure that if Paizo is able to have 25,000 free download of the Pathfinder Beta, that should represent about 25% of the 3.5E actual market... If I remember correctly the last RPG demograpghic survey indicated that 1.5 millions peoples play DnD worlwide monthly... so I figure out that`s left 1.4 millions peoples playing 4E today... if about only 5% of those players buy a book with all the missing core class of 3.5E (and I guess a lot more people would want those rules as they are the deal breaker for many players), we could obtain a little bit more than 50,000 sold copies of the advanced player`s guide... Even if I`m wrong.. 10,000 copies at 20$ each should be more than enough for a small publisher like XRP...
So you're saying that 14/15 people converted? That's not the impression I'm getting. It's more like a 50-50 split, from what I've seen.
I could be wrong, but as the true steward of the DnD3.5 Legacy (as many fan seem to believe) I supposed that Paizo have at least 25% of the DnD 3.5 market... As 25,000 peoples have download the Free Pathfinder RPG I extrapolate that 100,000 peoples play 3.5E.. It`s a fair guess... If the 50-50 split impression that you get is true, that would mean that Paizo only have 3% of the 3.5E total market and be really insignifiant... your guess...
So you're saying that 14/15 people converted? That's not the impression I'm getting. It's more like a 50-50 split, from what I've seen.I could be wrong, but as the true steward of the DnD3.5 Legacy (as many fan seem to believe) I supposed that Paizo have at least 25% of the DnD 3.5 market... As 25,000 peoples have download the Free Pathfinder RPG I extrapolate that 100,000 peoples play 3.5E.. It`s a fair guess... If the 50-50 split impression that you get is true, that would mean that Paizo only have 3% of the 3.5E total market and be really insignifiant... your guess...
Let's not confuse people who play with people who buy. Not always the same thing.
Let's not confuse people who play with people who buy. Not always the same thing.
Well, since it`s a free download, I suppose than anyone interested to Play Pathfinder have download it and will dowload the Beta in a few weeks... But you are right.. From the 1.5 millions player, probably only 25% of them buy book on a regular basis (the DM and a few players).. so the overall market is probably more 375,000 buyers...
Base on the Pathfinder download I could guess that 50% of them will actually buy the final release (12,500)... that`s represent 25% of the 3.5 overall market (50,000 buyers)... we still have 325,000 potential 4E buyers for the Advanced player`s guide...But all of this is pure speculation of my part (but I guess it`s a fair representation of the DnD market)... and we won`t ever known how many Advanced player`s guide XRP will be able to sale... :-)
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Failed domestic policy...
Minstral, Oghma, ummm, what's a good term for a half orc?Honestly I don't think they would have to change the names of the classes or most of the races especially if they are not going under the GSL. Most of the names for the core classes and races in D&D are quite generic fantasy archetypes that have existed in fantasy literature and mythology long before the first Dungeons and Dragons game was ever penned. Wizards of the coast does not own the names monk, druid, orc, half-orc, as a matter of fact a lot of the races and classes in D&D are not original with either TSR or Wizards of the Coast. Even the name Tiamat is not original with Wizards or TSR. Tiamat was an ancient Babylonian or Sumerian god I believe, I don't know if the 5 headed dragon image holds to mythology or not but the name sure isn't original. Lots of wiggle room there legally I would think.
Charles
Possibly true but not nearly as satisfying as a punch line.
Actually etrigan, my understanding is that they don't need to 'release' anything. Just add those terms to the SRD as a place holder.
There's no need to even do that. The GSL allows WotC to cancel the license for any reason. There's no "going around" the license for this edition and the rule of thumb is don't do anything that irks WotC badly enough for them to be willing to take a (albeit small) PR hit through a license cancellation.
The Advanced Player's Guide will compliment what WotC puts out, not replace. The new classes should be significantly different from what the official versions will be (probably, and they're designed to be different), and I don't think there will be any concerns about the book from WotC.
I've already had one person say the announcement of the book was how he convinced his group to switch to 4e. From my perspective, it's things like that which show WotC that their license and the products created under it are doing what they wanted done: gaining and keeping players for 4e.
Joseph Browning
Expeditious Retreat Press
Actually etrigan, my understanding is that they don't need to 'release' anything. Just add those terms to the SRD as a place holder.There's no need to even do that. The GSL allows WotC to cancel the license for any reason. There's no "going around" the license for this edition and the rule of thumb is don't do anything that irks WotC badly enough for them to be willing to take a (albeit small) PR hit through a license cancellation.
The Advanced Player's Guide will compliment what WotC puts out, not replace. The new classes should be significantly different from what the official versions will be (probably, and they're designed to be different), and I don't think there will be any concerns about the book from WotC.
I've already had one person say the announcement of the book was how he convinced his group to switch to 4e. From my perspective, it's things like that which show WotC that their license and the products created under it are doing what they wanted done: gaining and keeping players for 4e.
Joseph Browning
Expeditious Retreat Press
Thanks for the comments! I'm wondering, was it ever released which classes/races are in the book specifically? Or do we all have to wait and see?
Thanks! :)
Thanks for the comments! I'm wondering, was it ever released which classes/races are in the book specifically? Or do we all have to wait and see?
Thanks! :)
Let's see, we're still fine-tuning on some aspects of the work, but it looks like we've got Earth gnomes, Shire halflings, and orc-blooded for races and Martial Artist, Nature Priest, Savage Warrior, Troubadour, and Spellbinder for classes.
joe b.
Thank you for the word from the horse's mouth.
So is it going to be under the GSL or not then?
not a 4x player, but glad they're getting some love.
Thanks for taking interest in something we're doing. To answer your question, it will be GSL.
joe b.
Thanks for the comments! I'm wondering, was it ever released which classes/races are in the book specifically? Or do we all have to wait and see?
Thanks! :)
Let's see, we're still fine-tuning on some aspects of the work, but it looks like we've got Earth gnomes, Shire halflings, and orc-blooded for races and Martial Artist, Nature Priest, Savage Warrior, Troubadour, and Spellbinder for classes.
joe b.
Awesome! Thanks for the prompt response (I even managed to see it before I left work for the day! :P)
I'll be keeping my eyes peeled; the book sounds great! :)
Let's see, we're still fine-tuning on some aspects of the work, but it looks like we've got Earth gnomes, Shire halflings, and orc-blooded for races and Martial Artist, Nature Priest, Savage Warrior, Troubadour, and Spellbinder for classes.
Everything we need to do a complete 4E conversion of Golarion (or any other classic DnD campaign or adventure! Thanks :-)
Or, it could be XRP's death sentence, as Habro/WoTC will likely take action to prevent direct competion with the Player's Handbook II.
If they do like that it would be a mean thing since WotC obviously erased that part from the game intentionally for I don't know what purpose. But as we see, money talks again and WotC knows that there they have money and probably prevent XRP to do so or maybe not since doing like that would be accepting they made a mistake and now want to repair it and moreover they would be copying an original idea from a third part publisher who said since day one that they would fill all the gaps on the 4th edition PHB.
it looks like we've got Earth gnomes, Shire halflings, and orc-blooded for races and Martial Artist, Nature Priest, Savage Warrior, Troubadour, and Spellbinder for classes.
joe b.
These names rock! Kinda makes me sad I won't be picking it up.